Are 'Mommy Brains' Smarter?

(CBS)  Many women use the phrase "the mommy brain" to describe the damage mothering may do to their brains. They often kid about We often joke about its effects: losing their car in the parking lot, for instance.

But author Katherine Ellison begs to differ.
In her new book, "The Mommy Brain," the Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter, veteran foreign correspondent, and working mother of two young boys contends there's a lot of scientific evidence that motherhood can improve mothers' minds, in many ways. She says motherhood forces women's brains to work more efficiently, thereby making mothers smarter.

Mothers are learning machines, just like the babies are, and mothers have to learn to navigate and provide for their babies, Ellison points out to The Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith.

She says she got the idea to write the book when, as reporter in Brazil, she had a dream that space aliens had invaded, and she couldn't decide whether it was a story!

That "told me how afraid I was that my brain was just turning to mush," she remembered.

Ellison says says women hurt themselves by joking about it. If they tell themselves they're not up to the job and that motherhood is taking their neurons away, it could become a self-fulfilling prophecy and lead them to perform more poorly.

Ellison tells Smith there are studies showing that motherhood can boost learning and memory capacity, and there's other research that shows mothers have internal hormonal mechanisms that help them cope with stress. Getting daily practice honing those skills, as most mothers do with such things as negotiating and being alert, help focus the mind, she adds.

Another way mothers are smarter is that they become better time managers. As moms have to do more, they find ways to do it and become more efficient. They have tougher deadlines than ever, because the child's deadlines must be met -- a baby must eat or the day care center is closing for the day.

Dealing with stress is definitely another thing moms become better at, as is making friends. Befriending new people or groups may not sound like a major element of becoming smarter, but studies show that making friends and social networks help people to keep their minds active for much longer in life. Children are always bringing you something new and the novelty is fantastic for your brain, Ellison adds.

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